khigley

(73 vette) Just when I think I have this thing licked it jumps up and bites me... I am trying to remove the distributor so I can remove the intake, and it is refusing to budge, no matter how hard I twist and pull it will not move and yes everything else has been removed and or loosened so it just should pull out.. Its a Mallory Distributor if that helps. Open for suggestions...

Doug1

Have you bumped the engine a few times? So as to get the camshaft spinning some.

HeadsU.P.

Tough place to get a pry bar in there too. A short handle beveled edge chisel inserted on the back side between intake and the dizzy hold down portion may work. No hammering, just pry slowly without tearing things up. Work the body of the dizzy back & forth. I doubt its the pump holding on or the cam. I think its a extra tight intake hole. A shot of PB Blaster around the base may help too.

And I assume the crank is set at TDC #1 when its ready to go back in?

derekderek

Try to turn it side to side. Worst case use a hammer on the vacuum can. It can be replaced after beating the crap out of it. I assume you got the clamp off? A few aftermarket intakes have places for another clamp on the other side. Can you get vice grips on the skinny part of the body?

Big2Bird

I have never heard of this. I bet someone smeared permatex all over the housing. Try heating and twisting the dizzy housing, and toss that POS in the trash. The newer Mallory points and caps are garbage.

Big2Bird

Pull the intake. It will come right out with it, then pound it out.

BLUE1972

Just use 2 people to pull the manifold to keep it level.

I had an issue on my truck = 38 yrears old and 400k miles. Never had to adjust the timing - HELI, always was good. The oil under the locking ring was like tar. Used Freeze Off and it loosened after a few hours.

I went from a 2 barrel to a 4. When the carb failed...

Doug1

I was thinking this too. Pretty simple solution.

khigley

Yeah I was thinking of pulling the intake as well.. also no vacuum can.. only one hold down clamp... have tried turning it side to side it refuses to turn..
Anyhow will tackle it in the morning, thanks guys for all the advice will keep you informed as to my progress...

C3 4ME

On a stock distributor, I believe you can put a wrench on the base of it to turn it. Maybe you can do that on yours and see if that breaks it free.

7T1vette

Remove the hold down clamp and soak the cr@p out of the intake bore/dizzy housing joint. I'm sure they must be corroded together. If the engine will turn over (starter or manually), set the engine at TDC (compression) on #1; etch an orientation mark on the intake and dizzy housing to keep that alignment; also mark the point on the distributor case where the rotor is pointing BEFORE you move the distributor. That's about as good as you can do, since the pieces are bonded. They WILL get moved as you attempt disassembly.

P.S. When you go back together with those pieces, you need to leave the points of contact of the hold down clamp on the dizzy housing, the intake AND the underside of the clamp BARE METAL. Most folks don't know that is the electrical ground path for the ignition circuit. If you block that 'path' with any paint, the engine runs LOUSY (or not at all).

ronarndt

See if you can get a plumbers wrench (the type to reach up and tighten fittings under a sink) on the shaft under the body of the distributor and turn it. I had this problem on an old 1972 truck, but the distributor on Fords is up front, so it was easier to get at.

Tonio

HeadsU.P.

The clamp is the ground? Not so sure on that one, maybe. The dizzy has its own dedicated ground wire within the harness. If the clamp was needed to ground the unit, how are the new plastic intakes grounding the dizzy? And I guess you could say the oil pump shaft would be a ground also.

Big2Bird

Nope.

khigley

Ok, I have bumped the engine and it still refuses to budge left or right up or down.... its a victor Jr intake and a Mallory distributor I am wondering how they even got it through the hole in the intake if its so tight I can't move it.... will try heat next....

ddsharp

I've used a heel bar to put pressure on the bottom of the distributor. I'm sure you've double checked that the clamp is out, correct?

VERYSOON

I soaked the base of mine with pb for a while then whacked the lump of iron above the collar using a 4" brass drift and a 2 lb hammer, tapping both to left and right, then more pb. Loosened right up after that. I'm sure it had not been turned since 1984.
Maybe try that before heating it up?

VERYSOON

69ttop502

carriljc

Friend of mine could not remove distributor on his 351W even with an engine hoist due to the way the cam gear and distributor gear had worn together. By pulling the intake you can determine if you have an issue at the distributor contact point or below that.

I agree with doing the intake - it's relatively easy and will avoid other damages that could occur as you keep trying to yank this thing out.